


The Nightmares and Traumas of Colette Arnold

by DragonoftheMidwest



Series: Tour of the Wasteland [4]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Discussion of Abortion, Domestic Violence, F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 14:57:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13706823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonoftheMidwest/pseuds/DragonoftheMidwest
Summary: Colette hasn't been sleeping due to nightmares. Desperate to help his wife-to-be, Arthur Maxson takes her to the Memory Den.He's not prepared for what he learns.Contains Spoilers for The General and the Elder.





	The Nightmares and Traumas of Colette Arnold

**Author's Note:**

> This has some dark content guys. There is a scene depicting domestic violence and mentions of abortion. 
> 
> This happens between chapters 39 and 40 of The General and the Elder

**Arthur**

 

Colette was getting better at slipping out of bed without waking him up. Every night, she put off sleep until he had to drag her from her work to get some rest. And every night, she woke up from nightmares, or rather, the same nightmare. Every night. She wouldn’t tell him about it, shaking her head every time he asked. When Arthur woke up to her side of the bed cold at 2 in the morning, he knew he had to do something. He pulled a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt on before stepping out into the halls of the Prydwen. He stopped at the Knight outside their bedroom door, “Command Deck?” He asked.

“I believe so, sir.”

“Thank you.” He climbed the ladder that led to the Command Deck, yawning as he went. X6-88 was standing guard at the doorway. The Courser nodded curtly at him as he passed through to find Colette leaning on the rails of the window.

“I was about to come back to bed.” Colette said, not looking at him. She was wearing his battle coat over her pajamas, the coat almost touching the ground from their difference in height.

“How long have you been up here?” He asked, as he settled next to her, noting the circles under her green eyes that got darker every day.

“Not sure. Maybe half an hour?” Colette shrugged. 

“Cole. We need to do something. Maybe Doctor Amari can help.” He suggested.

“I won’t erase it from my memories, Arthur.” She shook her head.

“You don’t have to erase them, but maybe she can do something to help. Can we at least go talk to her please?”

Colette said nothing, and Arthur worried that he’d angered her, then she sighed and turned to face him. “Okay, you win. We can go see her tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” Arthur pulled her into a hug, smoothing her hair with a hand. “Come on, let’s go back to bed.”

They managed to sleep soundly through the rest of the night. Arthur woke Colette up with gentle kisses. They got ready, and boarded the Primair with Reagan and X6-88 in tow. 

Arthur had never been to Goodneighbor. He’d never had a reason to set foot in the settlement that John Hancock had once run. The streets reeked of urine and trash, and a drifter was huffing Jet on one of the park benches in the street on their way to the Memory Den. X6 and Reagan kept close. The only one of them at ease was Colette, greeting the members of the Neighborhood Watch as they passed. 

When they entered the Memory Den, they were greeted by a scantily clad woman lounging on a couch. “Well hello there, Miss Arnold. What can I do for you and your friends today?”

“Hey, Irma.” Arthur could tell her smile was forced. “I need to see the good Doctor. Is she in?”

“Yeah, sweetie. Just go on down. Though, you can leave that one up here with me.” She gave Arthur an appraising once over that made his skin crawl. 

“I think I’ll accompany  _ my fianceé  _ to see Doctor Amari.” Arthur slipped his arm around Colette’s waist as they crossed the floor. 

They descended a set of stairs, finding themselves in a room with two memory loungers and a woman in a lab coat. 

“Doctor Arnold! What a pleasant surprise!” The older woman smiled at Colette. 

“Hi, Doctor Amari. I’d like you to meet my fiancé, Arthur Maxson.” 

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Doctor Amari.” Arthur said as the Doctor shook his hand.

“The pleasure is mutual, Elder Maxson.” The doctor nodded to Reagan behind him. “Reagan, it’s nice to see you again, as well.”

“How’s it goin, doc?” Reagan asked with a smile.

“What can I help you with today? I take it that this is not a purely social visit?” 

“I’ve been having trouble with nightmares. The same one, every night for months.”

“I see. Do you know what’s been causing these nightmares?” Doctor Amari pulled out a pad of paper and a pen to take notes.

“That’s the thing. It’s a combination of things, but they’re all related. It’s a mix of things I experienced before I was frozen and our fight against the Institute.”

“And what’s the common factor?” Doctor Amari pressed.

Colette looked down, biting her lip. “My son.” She admitted. 

“I see. Your brain could be trying to process that these related events are still all separated, but not succeeding. The nightmares are a result of your mind trying to sort everything out. I can see if I am able to help, but you’re going to have to use a lounger again.”

“Will we need to have another person?” Colette asked, worry evident on her face.

“No. It won’t be necessary. With Kellogg it was different because of all of the Institute failsafes in place. Since these are your memories, I’ll be able to guide you through untangling them on your own.”

Colette was silent, weighing her options. She closed her eyes and sighed, “I’ll do it.”

“Ma’am, would you like us to leave?” X6-88 asked. 

“No. You can all stay.” Colette looked at the memory lounger reluctantly. “I guess I’m ready.” She told Doctor Amari. 

“If at any point you want us to stop, let me know.” Doctor Amari told her as she helped her into the lounger. X6-88 found a chair to sit in while Reagan leaned against the wall. When the memory lounger closed, Arthur stepped up to it and put his hand against the glass. Colette put her hand on the glass to mirror his, giving him a weak smile. 

“Okay, Doctor Arnold. I need you to relax. Try to focus on the nightmare for me, okay?” Doctor Amari tapped at a terminal. 

Colette nodded and closed her eyes, Arthur’s focus jumped from her to the screen of Amari’s terminal. 

“Here we go.” Doctor Amari murmured to herself as a scene came up on the screen. Arthur watched with his heart in his throat. 

They were watching the nightmare from Colette’s point of view. She was in what looked to be Sanctuary before the war. The streets were clean and empty, and the grass was green. 

_ “Mother!”  _ a child’s voice screamed out.

Colette whipped around to face her house. _ “Shaun?”  _ she called out, the sound over her voice distorted by the ancient speakers.

_ “Mother! I’m in here!”  _ The child’s voice was coming from her house.

Colette ran inside the house to find a man holding up a small child. The child was trying desperately to get away from the man. Arthur’s heart froze when the man looked at Colette with icy blue eyes.

Roger Maxson.

_ “I told you to get rid of this fuckin’ thing.”  _ Roger snarled at her as he pulled a gun out.

_ “No!”  _ Colette screamed. She pulled her own gun and shot at Roger.

Except, it wasn’t Roger anymore. It was Shaun, the old man he had grown into. A gaping hole was in his chest, and she could see his heart, black and necrotic.

_ “Why did you let this happen, mother?”  _ The old man asked in the child’s voice as he glared at her. 

“Oh, hell.” Arthur looked back to see Reagan squirming uncomfortably. Even X6 looked uncomfortable. 

“That seems to be the end of the nightmare. Now we can work on untangling these memories. Let me see…” Doctor Amari was focused on what she was doing. “Ah, this one is connected!” 

Arthur looked at the screen and cringed when he recognized the main elevator from the Institute as it sank below the atrium. Shaun’s voice was talking about how things on the surface were unstable. How he knew she was there for her son. The patronizing tone her own son used when speaking to her made him furrow his brows. She finally made it to the room with the glass cell in it, where a young boy was sitting on the ground. 

_ “Oh my god.”  _ Colette’s voice came from the speaker.   _ “Shaun?” _

The child stood and turned to face Colette.  _ “Yes. I’m Shaun. Who are you?” _

“Holy shit, he looks like you when you were a kid.” Reagan stared at the screen. Arthur nodded. Though Shaun looked like Colette, there was no denying that he and Arthur shared ancestry. 

_ “I’m your mother, sweetie.” _ Colette told the child.  _ “I’m here to take you home.” _

The synth child started calling for Father, growing more frantic as Colette desperately tried to reassure him that she was his mother and he was safe.

The door to the director’s office opened, and with a few words from Shaun, the synth child went limp. 

_ “You son of a bitch.” _ Colette snarled before she punched the man.   _ “What the hell did you do to my son?” _

“Yeah, that’s right, get ‘em.” Reagan cheered quietly from behind him. 

Shaun looked Colette in the eyes finally, and Colette in the memory stumbled back in shock.  _ “Shaun?” _

“Oh shit.” Reagan swore. Arthur looked back to see her staring at the screen in shock while X6 was focused on the lounger where Colette lay silently.

_ “I TOLD YOU TO GET RID OF IT” _ an unfamiliar voice roared. Arthur whipped around back to the screen in time to see Colette fall to the ground with a scream. 

“What the hell was that?” He demanded.

“He hit her.” Doctor Amari’s face was stony.

“He?” Arthur watched the screen. 

_ “I don’t expect you to be involved. I only told you because you have a right to know.” _ Colette’s voice was timid. He could see that she was struggling to get up.

_ “I don’t want this brat coming back to haunt me. That’s why you’re going to get rid of it.” _

_ “No. I want this baby. I won’t even put you on the birth certificate-”  _ Colette was interrupted when the man picked her up and slammed her against something. Arthur heard a sickening crack when she fell to the ground again.

_ “I’m not going to tell you again.” _

_ “Roger-” _ Colette began, but Roger wasn’t listening. Arthur watched with growing rage as his ancestor threw a glass pitcher at Colette. 

“Elder Maxson, I understand that seeing this is stressful for you, but I must ask that you let go of my arm.” Doctor Amari was trying to pry his fingers off of her wrist. 

“My apologies, Doctor Amari. I-” He looked at Reagan and X6, who were both staring in horror. “I need to get some air.” 

“I’ll stay with the Director.” X6 said to Reagan as Arthur bolted past them up the stairs.

Arthur stormed out of the Memory Den with Reagan trailing behind him. 

“Arthur, hold up.” Reagan called after him. He turned around to face her and she stopped before she ran over him. “I need you to breathe, can you do that for me? Nice and deep.”

Arthur closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. 

“Tell me what you’re thinking.” Reagan prompted him.

“I want to kill him. Before he ever lays a hand on her.” 

“You can’t do that, Arthur. That won’t help anything.”

“I know.” Arthur took another steadying breath. “I feel... awful. I convinced her to come to the Memory Den and try this.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault. She’s been reliving parts of that for months now every time she’s tried to sleep. This is going to help her heal.” Reagan’s golden eyes pierced into him. 

“I just hope it’s worth it.” He looked back to the Memory Den behind Reagan. “Fuck.” He swore before taking another breath. 

“Ready to go back in?” Reagan asked him. 

Arthur nodded, “Yeah.” And let Reagan lead him back into the Memory Den. 

Irma was noticeably missing from the front room, but X6-88 could be seen kneeling in front of a chair off to the side where Colette was curled up. She looked up when they entered and the haunted look in her eyes made Arthur hesitate. 

She whispered something to X6 that they couldn’t hear. The Courser nodded and stood. “She wants to return to the Prydwen after she’s spoken with you.” He told Arthur.

“Thank you, X6. Will you and Aspirant Knight flag a vertibird down and wait for us, please?”

“Yes, sir.” The Courser nodded and led Reagan back out of the Memory Den. 

Arthur looked back to Colette, who was silently watching him. He approached her slowly, knowing how jumpy she was when she was experiencing such a heavy amount of emotions. He dropped to his knees in front of her. “I’m sorry.” She whispered to him. 

“What are you apologizing to me for?” He asked, bewildered. 

“I didn’t tell you.” Colette closed her eyes against her tears. “I should have told you.”

“You didn’t have to tell me anything you didn’t want to.” Arthur told her gently. “Can I hold you?” he asked. When she nodded, he pulled her gently into his lap. “It’s up to you when you share things like that with me.”

Colette remained silent as he ran his fingers through her hair. “So you’re not mad at me?” She finally asked. 

“The only person I’m mad at is Roger.” Arthur murmured to her. “He didn’t deserve to father a child with you.”

Colette adjusted herself so she could wrap her arms around Arthur. She squeezed him tight as he went from running his fingers through her hair to rubbing her back. “Are you ready to go home now?” Arthur asked. Colette nodded silently. He stood up with her still in her arms, and carried her out to where the Primair was waiting to take them back to the Prydwen.

She never had the nightmare again. 


End file.
